The present invention is directed to an awning cover for use in protecting extendable awnings of various types such as those employed in recreation vehicles.
Extendable awnings of many types and sizes are known which may be positioned over doors and/or windows of mobile homes, recreational vehicles, camping trailers or the like. Such awnings generally consist of an awning fabric or material in a rolled up but extendable form and attached at one end to a vertical wall. The awning fabric or material at its other end is attached to a roller adapted to cause said fabric or material to roll up around the roller when not in use. Pivot arms permit the awning fabric or material to be positioned adjacent the wall in rolled up form when not in use and to be extended from the wall when in use.
Such awnings are frequently left either unprotected or insufficiently protected from the atmospheric elements. For instance, waterproof awning covers are known which extend across the top of the awning and roll up around the awning when the awning is retracted. Such covers obviously fail to protect the ends of the awning when in rolled up form. In such instances, moisture is permitted to wick between the various rolled up portions of the awning fabric or material to the detriment of the fabric or material. Such wicking action frequently occurs during use of a recreational vehicle under moist conditions such as during rainstorms. Rain impacts on the leading end of the awning, with interior portions of the rolled up awning becoming wet due to the resultant wicking action.
Awning hoods are also known which are intended to protect retracted awnings from the elements. Exemplary awning hoods are described, for example, in U. S. Pat. Nos. 827,483; 1,390,527; 1,768,437; 1,779,561; 3,001,577; 3,364,973; 3,730,196; 3,833,011; and 3,923,074.
While the awning hoods described in the noted patents are designed to protect the retracted awning, the disclosed awning hoods are still deficient in certain respects such as failing to adequately protect all exposed sides of the retracted awning and/or only permitting access to the awning with difficulty.